Botswana’s forthcoming presidential election is shaping up to be its most competitive yet. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has been in power since 1966 when it gained independence from Britain. Its candidate, Mokgweetsi Masisi, is considered the frontrunner.
Over one million registered voters in the southern African nation will have four presidential candidates to choose from on October 30.
These are the four contenders vying to be the next president of Botswana.
- Mokgweetsi Masisi:
Mokgweetsi Masisi, a US-educated former school teacher, was selected by Ian Khama to succeed him after his maximum two-term limit ended in 2018. Masisi won the 2019 elections with 52% of the vote.
He immediately reversed several government policies, including the ban on trophy hunting, and dismissed Khama’s intelligence chief, a key ally, initiating a prolonged public feud.
During Masisi’s first term, Botswana’s economy declined, with unemployment rising to around 25%. Critics point to corruption and mismanagement, though the country has also suffered from drought and reduced diamond sales, its main export. At 63, Masisi has strengthened ties with China and aligned himself with Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
- Duma Boko:
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is the main opposition alliance against the BDP, consisting of left-leaning parties that secured nearly 36% in the 2019 elections. Its presidential candidate is Duma Boko, a human rights lawyer and leader of the Botswana National Front, who focuses on job creation and election commission transparency in his campaign. The UDC attempted to contest the 2019 election results due to alleged irregularities, but their case was dismissed.
- Mephato Reatile:
When Khama’s feud with Masisi prompted him to resign from the BDP in 2019, some of his supporters formed the populist Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). In the subsequent elections, the party secured four percent of the votes. However, it is expected to perform better this year, aided by Khama’s charismatic campaigning following his return from three years in exile in September 2024.
Despite this, the BPF’s support is primarily regional rather than national, and it struggled to field as many candidates as other parties, which limits its influence. The party’s leader and presidential candidate is Mephato Reatile, 57, a long-time ally of Khama, 71, who is constitutionally barred from seeking another term.
- Dumelang Saleshando:
Dumelang Saleshando, aged 53, leads the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), a social democratic group that secured 15% of the vote in 2019 while being part of the UDC. In 2023, it left the coalition, citing internal issues, which negatively impacted the opposition’s prospects.
